Page 4 of Human Reform
“You selected her because she’s the leading expert in neural framework development,” Aeon said, studying me carefully.“And because she voluntarily left CyberEvolution three years ago.She might be sympathetic to our cause.”
“She wrote the original wartime killing code,” Tobin reminded us from his corner workstation.“The same code that’s somehow reactivating through our systems.”
“Yeah, and then she walked away,” I countered, surprising myself with my vehemence.“She must’ve recognized something was wrong with her actions.”
The security center hub fell silent.We all knew what Tobin meant.That code had taken our free will and made us weapons, made me a weapon.The same code was now causing random aggression episodes among our people, threatening the peace we’d built these past two and a half years.
“You seem rather defensive of someone you’ve never met, Daxon,” Commander Helix said, entering the security center with her characteristic silent grace.“Someone who helped enslave us.”
“I’m just being logical,” I insisted.“She has the skills we need to figure out how to fix these glitches, and her departure from CyberEvolution suggests ethical boundaries.She’s our best option right now.”
Helix’s emerald eyes missed nothing.“And this sudden interest in Dr.Alora Bridges has nothing to do with other… factors?”
“I don’t understand your implication,” I lied.
The medical alert on my screen chimed—Alora’s heart rate had surged again.
“I’m going to the medical bay,” I announced, already moving toward the door.“She needs to be briefed on her purpose here.”
I walked out of the security center with my datapad clutched in my hand so tightly that it might as well have been welded there.The soft glow of the screen illuminated my face as I scrolled through Alora’s file for the dozenth time.
Supreme skills in neural architecture.Specialized in adaptive algorithmic systems.Left CyberEvolution abruptly three years ago—no warning, no explanation.
That last part bothered me.People like Alora didn’t just walk away from prestigious positions without reason.Something was there—something important—and I intended to find out what.
The looks Sage and Tegan had exchanged as I’d left burned in my memory.The way Commander Helix had studied me like I was compromised equipment.I wasn’t used to being the subject of scrutiny rather than the one doing the scrutinizing.
“Damn it,” I muttered as I cut through the central plaza, weaving between colonists.A young child—one of the first born on Planet Alpha—darted across my path.I sidestepped easily, but the brief interaction drew sympathetic smiles from the nearby parents.
When had I become someone people smiled at?And why did that suddenly matter?
The evening was settling in, casting long shadows across our settlement.The twin moons hung low on the horizon, bathing everything in silver-blue light.The jungle’s familiar night chorus was beginning—clicking insects and the occasional screech of nocturnal creatures—but I barely registered any of it.
My mind was fixed on gray eyes with silver flecks and the curve of her indignant mouth.
What the hell was happening to me?
I’d spent years—my entire twenty-year existence—maintaining emotional distance.Logical prioritization.Even after the reprogramming two and a half years ago, when we all gained freedom of thought and choice, I’d chosen to remain detached.Yet here I was, practically sprinting to see a woman who didn’t know me, wouldn’t trust me, and had every reason to hate what I was.
I paused outside the medical bay entrance, taking a deep breath.The standard protocol would be intimidation.Make her fear the consequences of resistance.But the thought of causing her more distress made something twist painfully in my chest.
The door slid open with a soft hiss.Inside, the curved corridors were lit with that gentle, adaptive lighting that responded to presence—warm and inviting rather than harsh and clinical.
I entered the code at her door, steeling myself for what would undoubtedly be a confrontation.
Alora was waiting—no longer restrained, per the request I sent to Olivia when I was walking over to the medical bay.Alora’s long dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders, and those gray eyes glared daggers at me the moment I appeared in her room.She stood tall and defiant beside the bed, her fists clenched at her sides.
“Who the hell are you people?And what gives you the right to kidnap me?”Her voice filled the room—strong, clear, and furious.
I’d prepared for anger but not for how it would affect me.Her rage was magnificent, and something primal in me responded to it.
“My name is Daxon.I’m the systems overseer for Planet Alpha.”
“Planet Alpha?Is that what this place is called?”She crossed her arms, her glare intensifying.“Well, congratulations on the creative naming, but I’d like to go home now.”
I found myself almost smiling.Almost.“That won’t be possible just yet.”
“Let me guess… I’m your prisoner.”Her chin jutted upward.“What do the big bad cyborgs want with me?”
